H-E-B volunteers to deliver for Meals on Wheels

Partnership happens day before Feast of Sharing

By
Nathaniel Miller
-
Volunteers help prepare meal plates during the 20th annual H-E-B Feast of Sharing on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, at the Ector County Coliseum - Barn D. In addition to a free meal, guests were able to enjoy live music, arts and crafts and children’s activities. (B Kay Richter/Odessa American)

Members of H-E-B want to remind people they live in your community, even if they must go door-to-door to do it.

That’s because on Thursday, members of the grocery chain will be volunteering to deliver more than 700 meals for Odessa Meals on Wheels. In addition to providing that service, H-E-B will also sponsor the meals for that day.

“I love that they are leading by example and that H-E-B does this event every year,” Executive Director of Odessa Meals on Wheels Craig Stoker said.

Meals delivered will also include bags of fruit and vegetables, along with festive food items. Volunteers are scheduled to arrive at Meals on Wheels at 1314 E. Fifth St., at 9:30 a.m., before leaving to drive their routes at 10:30 a.m., to deliver them to home-bound seniors.

Every year before the Feast of Sharing, H-E-B commits to volunteering in the community a day before the event.

“We are proud to partner with the organization to provide holiday cheer in the form of a hot meal to all of our homebound neighbors in Odessa,” Jessicka Gonzales, H-E-B’s Public Affairs Officer for West Texas, said.

Volunteers pass out H-E-B cookies during the 20th annual H-E-B Feast of Sharing event Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, at the Ector County Coliseum – Barn E. (B Kay Richter/Odessa American)

For its 21st annual event, the Feast of Sharing is scheduled from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m., Friday at the Ector County Coliseum, 4201 Andrews Highway, in Barns D and E. The event is free to the public and will include a barbecue-style dinner.

Meals on Wheels is also running an end-of-year campaign to raise $50,000 to match a donation from John Herriage of Copper Key Realty. So far, the organization has raised more than $10,000.

Appreciative of the work H-E-B does, Stoker said Meals on Wheels always needs volunteers to help with the 38 routes and more than 800 meals needed to be delivered daily. Stoker said he is willing to work with volunteers to find the best route for them.

“We’ve really tried to create our program with volunteers in mind,” he said. “We understand your time is the most valuable thing you can give, and we don’t want to take advantage of that.”

If you go

  • What: H-E-B’s Feast of Sharing.
  • When: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Dec. 8. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m.
  • Where: Ector County Coliseum, 4201 Andrews Highway, in Barns D and E.
  • Cost: Free.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR